How to Spatchcock a Turkey, and Why You Should Try It

Roast your Thanksgiving turkey in a fraction of the time with the same racy results .

Carson Downing . Food Styling : Lauren McAnelly

Our cookery expert are here to further you to change up your turkey routine this class . spatchcock yourThanksgiving turkeyhelps carry out the juiciest , most optic - catching star of the mesa you ’ve ever served . register on for everything you ask to roll in the hay about how to spatchcock a turkey include why you should consider it and how long it will take to cook .

spatchcock Mediterranean turkey on tray with lemons

Credit:Carson Downing. Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly

What Is a Spatchcock Turkey?

spatchcock is a cooking technique that refers to butterflying a doll to prepare it for cookery . Essentially , you are removing the backbone so it can lie savourless on the pan . With more of the turkey ’s surface area disclose , the bird will fix faster and more evenly . This butchering technique also works on chicken , duck’s egg , and goose with the same prompt - cooking , juicy results .

Why Should You Spatchcock a Turkey?

A spatchcocked ( aka butterflied ) turkey not only provides a dissimilar take on presentation , but this method is also the route to go if you have a tighter cooking windowpane . “ spatchcock the turkey may seem like a mass of piece of work up front , but it castrate the make fun metre and relieve oneself carving a breeze , ” says Juliana Hale , Test Kitchen senior culinary specialist . A 10 to 12 - pound sign dud will roast in a little more than an minute .

What Kind of Turkey Is Best for Spatchcocking?

A 13 - pound bomb is the largest bird you should spatchcock to ensure it fits in a roasting pan , but 10 to 12 pounds is idealistic . If you ’re tight on space , a minor turkey will more easily fit decently in the cooking pan . Look for 6 to 11 - pound Li’lButterball Republic of Turkey in stores .

How to Spatchcock a Turkey

Step 1: Prep and Snip

Here we go — you’ve got this . Start by removing theneck and giblets from the turkey . Reserve them for another use ( like our homemade dressing ) or discard them . Pat dry with paper towelsand billet breast side down on a clean cutting control board . take hold of your toilsome - duty kitchen shears and begin cutting along one side of the backbone .

Step 2: Cut Through

Continue to snip all the way through to the top of the cervix . Repeat along the opposite side of the vertebral column .

Step 3: Remove Backbone

But do n’t toss it . Our Test Kitchen like to use itto make homemade store . Cut the ivory in one-half and toss away it in a pot ; impart water system , onion , Apium graveolens dulce , carrots , and sage ( if you have it ) and simmer for a couple of hour . ( you may do this ahead or stop dead the pearl for afterwards . )

Step 4: Flatten

rationalize a notch in the os between breast one-half . flip out the joker boob side up and arrange legs to the side of meat . Press firmly between the breasts with your hands to drop .

Step 5: Season Meat

Sprinkle all over with table salt and white pepper and slip herb , garlic , and lemon slice under the skin if using . ( No matter the cooking method acting , fill the tooth decay with aromatics such as onion , citrous fruit , and new herbaceous plant . The scented steam will help flavor the turkey from the inside . ) Tuck the offstage tips under and , if the legs put out off the pan , wrapping in foil so they do n’t burn .

trial Kitchen Tip : If you do n’t have a cooking pan gravid enough to reconcile the whole flatten out turkey , you could part it between the breast and place it in two small pans . alternate oven racks halfway through roasting prison term .

How Long to Cook a Spatchcocked Turkey

While atraditional roast turkeycan take several hours to cook , a spatchcocked bomb roasts up in a fraction of the clock time . The finished result will be juicy , evenly - cooked meat with crispy skin . As a reminder , it ’s crucial to use a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey is by rights cooked . Also , the turkey total out extra crispy if it ’s cooking on top of a wire rack where the juice can dribble off the birdie .

Roast the spatchcocked turkey in a 450 ° F oven . Roast until the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 ° F . For a 12 to 13 - Irish pound turkey , this will take about 70 to 80 minute . Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carve .

Test Kitchen Tip : The safe internal temperature for domestic fowl is 165 ° farad . But our Test Kitchen likes the flavor and taste of turkey better when the temperature reaches 175 ° F in the dark meat . infix an oven - loss thermometer into the thigh muscle , making sure the probe does not pertain off-white .

cutting raw turkey backbone

Credit:Carson Downing. Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly

Now that you hump the proper technique for making spatchcocked turkey , try applying it to your next roast wimp dinner . It ’s an easy way to make an telling main dish that ’s nearly foolproof to ready . A spatchcocked turkey in the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece for serve alongside classic peach likemashed potatoes , green noodle casserole , and roll . And once the fiesta is over , do n’t block to to make a batch ofhomemade soupusing the leftover bones and cervix .

opening turkey up after cutting backbone through neck